Salvation Mountain

Paint.

Leonard Knight died last week at the age of 82. Known for nothing, he lived a quiet life In the desert bringing to life his own unique oasis of art made from materials salvaged from the desert and donated by passers by and the curious.

I love to see quiet labors of love and artistry played out in simple lives. I love to be reminded of how much art, how much creative time and energy can be into projects that exist only to satisfy the creator, not for financial gain or prestige.

Look:

Pictures:
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/hard-times-on-salvation-mountain.html

http://cowbird.com/story/10444/Hello_Universal_God/

http://www.editingluke.net/2010/11/salvation-mountain-pictures.html

A Roar To A Whimper

Cat.

Just this:

There are more tigers held in private homes as pets in Texas than exist in the wild in India. Tigers. In private homes. All over Texas. 

There are more exotic pets held in private homes in the US than in the zoos.

This speaks volumes to me about critical thinking and the role of impulse buying in the American population. The regulation or restriction of exotic pets in the US is fragmented and sketchy at best. In many states there are no real restrictions or regulations whatsoever, the average fishing or hunting licence may be more timely or costly to obtain that then ability to purchase an exotic animal. Beyond the first considerations, the safety issues within the home, the proper and humane care of the animals, and the cost of that care and maintenance, a broader concerns regarding this practice. 

Exotic animals that escape pose a risk to public health. Your tiger might not bite you, but it will bite the first neighbor kid that tries to poke it with a stick. And reptiles and other smaller animals that escape often find a new suitable habitat in the US, breeding in the wild and pushing out native species, impacting both competitors and prey populations.

I do not think that this information will have any impact on anyone that wants an exotic pet. I think that people that keep these kinds of animals are living out a kind of tangible fantasy, fulfilling a kind of escapism that is far beyond reason or rational. But do know this, there are entire organizations dedicated to the removal of exotic pets from owners in over their heads. 

What a terrible waste of time. What a terrible waste of an animal.

Watch:

The Elephant In The Room, a documentary about the exotic pet problem in the US.

Picture:

http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/latino-daily-news/details/escaped-bengal-tiger-causes-scare-in-mexico-85000-fine-for-owner/13007/

Notes On A Winter Day

Flake.

Today I am aware of sounds; the roar of the fire, the crinkling of falling flakes, the cat dragging it's dish across the kitchen floor. I call my parents to make sure they are tucked away, out of the storm. They are out gallivanting and in wonderful spirits. I remind myself not to underestimate them. Over breakfast, one of us cracks a joke that sends us into fits. Neither of us can remember it. The varied thrush is at the feeder. He is a strictly foul-weather friend. The house has been thoroughly cleaned, as other chores have been postponed. The cook book lies open to "pies" on the kitchen counter, and everywhere, another cup of tea.

Picture:
www.RubyGoneWild.com

Best Served Cold

Revenge.

Last month Federal agents arrested the owner and director of IsAnyoneUp, a website that specializes in revenge porn. It turns out, there are a lot of people, an estimated five percent of Americans, that participate in revenge porn, which is best described as the public leaking of personal images and video, usually after a breakup. Ouch. That this is an industry amazes me. For such a thing to exist requires a long series of morally and ethically questionable decisions from everyone involved from the people that make the media (in the privacy of their own homes, which they have every right to do) to the people that submit, edit, and post it, and finally the people that choose to view it. I can only imagine the kind of karmic return one receives for doing such a thing. is it not enough that an estimated 99% of the internet is filled with pornographic content made largely by people who willingly participated and knew the images would be made public? Do so many of us lack the basic human compassion required to prevent us from doing public and permanent harm to someone we used to feel a close connection to? And what is happening with the rest of us that we want to be active players and witness one persons revenge and another's downfall? Even with recent law suits and arrests this is clearly a trend that is not dying any time soon. So make good choices, be kind, and watch your back for the cold dish.

Picture/References:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/02/our-best-weapon-against-revenge-porn-copyright-law/283564/

The Part-Time Racket

Work.

Portland State University is locked into a months-long labor dispute that focuses on the role of temporary and part time teaching faculty at the University. While the Oregon State University system averages about thirty percent part time staff, PSU is reaching towards fifty. No one, not the administration, the faculty, nor the students think more part time faculty results in a higher level of quality in education. And they are right, it doesn't. The part time teaching racket exists as an employment catchment for people with Master's degrees in particular, those that find themselves under-qualified for tenure track positions but over-qualified or too niche-educated for mainstream commercial jobs. From experience I can say that part time faculty are typically paid a flat fee based on in-class hours, a system that devalues extra time spent on curriculum development and grading. And in order to earn a living wage, and make the inevitable student loan payments, part time instructors teach many, many classes, sometimes at more than one campus. What ends up being created is a factory-farmed education. The students are numbers, the curriculum is simplified, attachment to the university fades, as does pride in one's vocation. The recent higher education boom has seen massive increases in infrastructure and technology at our universities, but little investment in the heart of education, the people. Are you an alumni? Tell your school how you feel about the role of part time staff. They listen. Or at least they should.

More Than A Muse

Mia.

After nearly twenty years of relative peace, Mia Farrow is back in the storm. Recent accolades given to Woody Allen have spurred the reemergence of decades-old family ghosts. The briefest version is that after more than ten years together Woody Allen and Mia Farrow split in spectacular fashion, with public accusations of infidelity, drug and alcohol abuse, tantrums, tirades, and craziness. Oh yeah, and one seven year old girl with claim to molestation by Allen that many people did then, and still do, find valid. It is this claim that has resurfaced after all these years. Regardless of the outcome, it is a a personal tragedy that will be played out in the public eye and likely never really resolved.

There are many things that could be and will be said about Mia and Woody and their children and relationship. Which I think is such a shame. I think that like any victim Dylan Farrow deserves justice and privacy. I think that besides the personal tragedy is a grand tragedy of intention, and the obscuring of Mia Farrows legacy, not as an actress, but as a humanitarian and activist. Far from the waif-like muse come-scorned woman of Woody Allen that we have all bought into, Mia has spent the last two decades devoted to illuminating the poverty and poor living conditions of North-Central Africa. She has moved on from Hollywood and turned her attention and energy to more important things than Page Six. Perhaps we should allow her to do so. Her work would be so much easier if we all paid attention to her, rather than her story.

You can follow her on Twitter @MiaFarrow

Photograph/References:
http://revolvingstyles.blogspot.com/2010/08/style-icon-mia-farrow.html
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/archive/1992/11/farrow199211

All Hail The Superbowl

Punt.

Today, even the front page of the New York Times has yielded to the Superbowl. It does not matter what else is happening in the world, on this weekend, Americans do football. Or rather, they use football as a vehicle for the indulgence of vice and bad behavior, for throwing aside family time, chores and errands and, well, mostly just watching tv and getting drink. There is also recreational drug use, sex trafficking, illegal gambling, and an increase in domestic violence. And for advertisers, it's almost as good as Christmas. Do you watch the Superbowl? Do you watch football in general? Are you even watching the game or is it serving a kind of social purpose or curiosity? Either way, be sure you understand the impacts of this game on our world, and make your choices wisely.